Does it sometimes seem that there are celebration days for just about any topic or interest group? My personal favourites – World Chocolate Day (July 7th), Library Workers Day (April 6th), and International Coffee Day (October 1st) – I tend to celebrate year round… However, when I saw “World Hello Day” coming up in my calendar on November 21st, I thought that this was one date that deserved a closer look and I decided to find out a bit more about it.
It all began in the fall of 1973, when two American brothers – Brian and Michael McCormack – began a letter writing campaign to world leaders encouraging communication as an alternative to a show of force in conflict resolution. They were particularly concerned about the escalating violence between Israel and Egypt known as the Yom Kippur War which was in the headlines that autumn. The brothers mailed out 1,360 letters in seven languages to government leaders worldwide. Keep in mind that this was way before the World Wide Web and speedy email mail-outs. They actually hand wrote those letters, bought stamps and mailed them. Their gesture caught on and here we are 48 years later later marking World Hello Day as a day to promote peace and the power of personal communications.
In 2021, the observance of World Hello Day is still just as relevant. Personal communications can be a powerful tool in resolving conflict and promoting harmony. With COVID-19 health and safety restrictions still in place, you might wonder just how do we mark the occasion? What can we do?
Here are a few ideas for inspiration:
Missed the date? No worries! You can make any day your personal “Hello” challenge and share positivity and good will as you move ahead in the journey of life.
Would you like to learn a few more ways of saying “hello” ? Check out our Ethnologue database which is highlighted in this Hidden Gems blog article and try out the thousands of ways people greet each other around the globe.
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